Ashburton Investments’ staff keep the Jersey coastline clean

Thursday 16 August 2018

Ashburton Investments organised a staff beach clean in St Ouen on Thursday 2 August 2018 in continued support of the National Trust for Jersey’s Coastline Campaign aimed at protecting the diverse coastal environment of the island.

Nineteen staff from Ashburton Investments took part in the half day clean up supervised by Rangers from the National Trust for Jersey, collecting plastic, fishing equipment and other rubbish washed up on the beaches around National Trust sites. Starting at Stinky Bay, Ashburton Investments’ staff worked across the beaches towards the White House, Le Don Hilton, where later in the afternoon rubbish bags were weighed and photographed.

The majority of rubbish collected was plastic, including small plastic shards, carrier bags, plastic bottles, fishing line, plastic pipes and nylon boat rope. Significant amounts of glass and aluminium were also picked up from the shore, as well as paper and general litter. Over 30 bags of rubbish were filled, weighing a total of 53 kilos, which were then taken for processing at La Collette, with all recyclable materials destined for recycling.

The National Trust for Jersey Sunset Concerts, which are sponsored and co-organised by Ashburton Investments, recently received Plastic Jersey Free status in recognition of its efforts to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics. An estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans each year (Source: Greenpeace), harming marine life and ending up in every level of the food chain. Participating in a growing business trend in the Island to avoid single-use plastics, many of which end up strewn on our shores, Ashburton Investments is fully committed to preserving the beauty of Jersey’s coastline for years to come and the long-term well-being of the community.

Jon Parkes, Lands Manager at the National Trust for Jersey said: “ The National Trust for Jersey and Ashburton have worked together for ten years delivering the now much-loved Sunset Concerts and conservation initiatives that contribute towards keeping St Ouen’s bay a special place for humans and wildlife. The Blue Planet TV series has really raised awareness about how we all impact our coastline. It is fantastic that that ground swell can be utilised to provide real benefits and we are proud to play our part toward the goal of cleaner seas.”

Rachelle Le Corre, Marketing Manager (International) at Ashburton Investments said: “We were delighted to see how well the #leavenothingbutfootprints campaign for the Sunset Concerts was received by attendees and inspired to do more by the event’s recognition from Plastic Free Jersey. Having operated in Jersey for over 30 years, our team is committed and enthusiastic about protecting the island for future generations. This has also been the 10th year that Ashburton Investments has sponsored the National Trust for Jersey’s Sunset Concerts, so far helping to raise more than £80,000 for the Coastline Campaign over the last decade.”